The Marquette Naturals are deep in their preparations for the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA)—the largest international a cappella tournament for universities, made famous in “Pitch Perfect.” The quarterfinals will be held in Madison, Wisconsin.
Groups apply to compete in quarterfinals, and then six to ten groups are chosen to compete at a quarterfinal in their respective region (three to five quarterfinals occur in every region). The top two groups advance to the semifinals. One semifinal competition occurs in each region, and the winner from each semifinal advances to the finals in New York City. The Marquette Naturals compete under the Great Lakes Division.
The Naturals, Marquette’s all-male a cappella group, will have their quarterfinal competition on Valentine’s Day and will be singing an arrangement of three songs, all centered on the set theme of fatherhood.
Last year, the Naturals were the only a cappella group from Marquette to attend ICCA due to the competition being held on National Marquette Day. Naturals President Timothy Gustafson, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, is excited for the chance to perform without the timing challenges of last year.
“Last year was a difficult decision,” Gustafson said. “Not only for us, but for all the Marquette [a cappella] groups, because we were put in a situation where we all had to choose, and we chose to compete, but we also missed out on National Marquette Day. So, it’s actually cool to be back to normal this year.”
The troop will be singing ‘Hard Run’ by the Zac Brown Band, ‘Over My Head (Cable Car)’ by the Fray and an Icelandic electronic song that emphasizes backing vocals. The Naturals typically pick a baseline song that inspires the theme and then select two additional songs that fit to form a cohesive three-song narrative. Group members submit song suggestions via Instagram stories and the executive board then discusses options and ultimately decides the theme. The theme selection takes about a week and a half within the months-long ICCA preparation process.
“We like to try and tell a story because not everybody does that,” Gustafson said. “Some groups just do three songs which can be very cool. But we’re trying to tell a story [and] communicate different perspectives on different angles of fatherhood.”
The Naturals typically rehearse three times a week, but with ICCA right around the corner they have been adding additional Tuesday rehearsals to run through their set. Junior in the College of Arts & Sciences and Naturals Communications Director Solomon O’Bert said he enjoys spending time with the group and watching their skills grow.
“I’m always excited to go through this process and see the songs getting better,” O’Bert said.
While the entire Naturals team will be performing at ICCA, O’Bert and Naturals Vice President and junior in the College of Health Sciences Nick Flynn will each have solo performances in the three-song set.
“Both of us have solos, so I think there’s a lot more riding on us,” Flynn said. “[When using] a solo mic, you are very loud compared to the ensemble.”
Despite the nerves, both students are excited at the opportunity to improve their a cappella skills. They hope to get some positive feedback from the judges but at the end of the day, they are grateful to be able to bond with their group.
“It’s exciting, you know,” O’Bert said. “I think what sets us apart is that we’re all so close, truly.”
Compared to previous ICCA performances, Gustafson said this year’s set will be less focused on character and more on theme. As far as audience expectations go, Gustafson said to be prepared for something new.
“Definitely expect good dynamics, because that’s what we’re working,” Gustafson said. “And definitely expect a story.”
For more information on the Marquette Naturals and ICCA click here or visit The Naturals’ Instagram account.
This article was written by Allison Scherquist. She can be contacted at [email protected]
